title: Psychosocial and developmental characteristics of female adolescents who have committed sexual offenses.
abstract: The present study aimed to examine differences in psychosocial and developmental characteristics between Adolescent Females who have committed Sexual Offenses (AFSOs; n = 40), Adolescent Females who have committed nonsexual Violent Offenses (AFVOs; n = 533), and Adolescent Males who have committed Sexual Offenses (AMSO, n = 743). Results showed that AFSOs and AMSOs were remarkably similar, whereas AFSOs and AFVOs were remarkably different on the measured variables. Compared to AFVOs, AFSOs less often had antisocial friends and problems in the domains of school (truancy, behavior problems, dropping out of school) and family (e.g., parental problems, poor authority and control, and run away from home). Victimization of sexual abuse outside the family and social isolation were found to be more common in AFSOs than in AFVOs. Victimization of sexual abuse outside the family was the only specific characteristic of female adolescent sexual offending, as this was more common in AFSOs than in both AMSOs and AFVOs.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands c.e.vanderput@uva.nl.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van der Put
authors.affiliation: Research Institute Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eveline S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: van Vugt
authors.affiliation: Research Institute Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Geert Jan J M
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Stams
authors.affiliation: Research Institute Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hendriks
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual; D003415:Crime; D057237:Criminals; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency; D008297:Male; D012574:Schools; D012737:Sex Factors; D012742:Sex Offenses; D012919:Social Behavior; D014754:Violence
keywords: female sexual offenders; juvenile sex offender; psychosocial characteristics